Introduction to Solo: the Online Solo Travel Guide!

By: Umi Lestari

As an eternal rival of Yogyakarta, Solo or Surakarta is arguably the epicenter of Javanese identity and tradition along with Yogyakarta. Both cities share many similarities, but if we look deeper, Solo is more westernized than Yogyakarta. This 44-km² city can be explored with at least on overnight visit. This city famous for its batiks offers an elegant keraton (Royal Palace), backstreet kampongs, traditional markets and gleaming malls. Solo is an excellent place to witness the traditional performing arts and a great place to buy traditional crafts.